Dispenser for tableware



Aug. 3, 1943. w. J. GIBBS ETAL DISPENSER FOR TABLEWARE Filed Dec. 28, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS Hi/Ham J. Gibbs Ernest 7-." Smith WM du h ATTORNEY.

Aug. 3, 1943. w. J. GIBBS E' IAL' DISPENSER FOR TABLEWARE Filed Dec; 28. 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS William I Gibbs Ernegif F! Smith aga ,1 /765 ATTORNEY.

Aug. 3, 1943..v

w. J. GIBBS ETAL nxsrmsnn FOR TABLEWARE Filed Dec. 28, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS Wilhjam J. Gd'bbs BY Ernest 7 Smith ATTO RN EY,

made so 19 found in table knives may not pass therethrough. 7 The distance between the front wall 1 l and the partition. wall is f also conveniently that a suitable portion of the handle of the knife extendsfromthefront wallwhen the knife is thrustthrou gh the iopenings l2 and. I5,

as shown in Fig. 6, until the enlargement l9 encounters the partition wall ll,,1as shown in Y Fig. 7. A slot 20 and a detent or recess 2| are provided in the walls of the in Fig. 6, and the objects of said slot and detent will presently appear.

' With-referenceto Fig. '3, we have shown a dispenser'for spoons and forks and the likecomprising. a cast metallicunit in thei form of a f .doublerdispenser. {The [dispenser comprises: a generallyrectangularleasing.- having the gverti- .cally extendingwalls 22, which walls vare formed with inwardly projecting lugs or barriers 523, as

shown'in Figs, 3 and5. These lug portions are adapted to coact-in pairs to define .a' passage area lesser in width' -than is that, areabetweenthe 7 main walls and havlngthat; restricted widthof area of suff cient widthto permit the handle portion oiia spoon or fork to gbe'retained therebetween andnarrow enough to prevent the passage ofthe bowl part of the spoon or thetine'partof the fork therebetween in any position ofthe fork .or spoon. The top 'of the dispenser is normally open-ended except for a latchingdevice 2 which is pivotally mountedon the transverse rod 25 so that it may freely respond to the force of gravity. A recess23 extending downwardly into the enlarged or lug portions of the side walls is provided to-permlt the entrance, of thelower and downwardly depending end ofthe latch mechanism A detent or recess 2 i1 is provided in the bottom wall of. the dispensing mechanism ofFig,

3. and a, slot is provided in conjunctionwith the rear: wall, as shown in Fig. 4, the objects of which willpresently appear. V

1 Referringto We h9.V6,Sh0WIl a latch member. $251,..and a retaining device inthe form of. a horizontally disposed plate .21; Said latch structure, as I shown to coact with enact the latching mechanisms the recess 2| of the lower wall thereof "is adapted 26, as described above,-and with the slot 20 adapted to coact with the plate member 21.

Since spoons are often of adifferentlength'than are forks and since some spoo'nsiand some forks memberZt, as shown in detail ,in, Fig. 8,-comprisesia' lever. ifi pivotally, mounted on arod 28 'so as to oscillate in 'a verticalplane around said pivot, 28. A retaining casingv 29 is vfixedly mounted against the under side of the lower wall or floorrnember of the retaining casing 8, as shown in Fig. 8; Near the outward end of said lever 25 there is provided a well'or depression 30 adapted toireceive the helical spring, part 3|.

Said springti is constrained between the upper wall of said retaining member 29 and the bottom -'of the well 390i thelever 26 so as normally to retain the inner end of said latch memberifi' 'in an upward-position.

v The knife dispensing device, Fig.6, is adapted to .be held in position, as shown in Fig. 1, within the casing 8 with thelatching end 26" constrained into aposition within therecess 2| of the lower wall of th'e'knife dispenser and withthe slot 20 adapted to encompass part of the end of the retaining plate 2] ofFig. 2. The spoon and fork dispenser of Fig, 8 is adapted tobe retained within the casing f8 as shown in Fig. Lso that are of different length with respect to each other; we find it convenientto make the dispensers of Fig. 3 ofdifferentlengths; front; to rear, toaccommodate the length'of the spoon ;or.fork to be retained. and'dispensed therein. We, there- .fore,.make the front edge of the retaining plate T2! to be of varying distances from'the rear wall .of the casing 8, and these varying distances are 3 to 'be in conformity With'the varying lengths front to rear of the spoon and fork dispensers so that, when in position, all of the dispensers for knives, spoons and forks shall be in alignment with the front of the retaining casing 6, as shown inFig. 1.

- The mannerof usingthe dispensers of Fig 3 isasfollows:

; Assuming that such a dispenser is lmounted within the casing 8, as shown in Fig. 1, and that there is no ware within; the dispenser a person:

may,- by lifting the outwardly extending end of the latching memberifishown in Figs. 2 andS, release the dispenser so thatit-may be drawn from "the casing. This dispenser may. be taken to a store of cleantableware, the'latching mechanism 24 may-beHraised around the pivot 25 out of the way and spoons or forks,as the case may be, may be very convenientlydropped within the walls of the dispenser until it isfiIled, after which the latching memberflfi is permitted to fall into recess 23 and the dispenser is again inserted into the casing; 6 until it islatched in place, as described above. A patron wishing to remove spoon or fork from thedispenser will grasp the outwardlyextending handle and raise the ware lifting the latch member 24, as shown in Fig. 4, until the spoonis above the restrictmg lugs 23, after which it may be readilydrawn outwardly; from the front of the dispensingdevice. ,a person attempt to replace the spoon into the dispenser,- it will be discovered that the restricted passage between thelugs ;23 will not permit of the passage of the bowl of the spoon or the tines of the fork therebetween in any position. Should -i the patron attemptto replace the ware through the top thereof, it; will be discovered that the latchingmechanism ha fallen into place, thus preventing it. ,While the entire dispenser is retained withinthemasing 8 the latching mechanism, ,24ris not reached without diii'iculty or is completely unattainable.

Referring to Figs. 6xand manner asgaregthefother dispenser above described, and is retained in' position in the same manner'..,Should it be required to-provide this dispenser with knives, the dispenser may be removed from'the casing .Bandtaken to a store of table, knives, whereupon it is turned upside down'so that the. slugs l8jfall'into the upper...

openingsalB. Retaining: the slugs within this uppendetent the. dispenser is readily supplied WtthcIeankniVesby passing them through the aligned holes, illustrated in Fig. 6,,after which the dispenser, loadedwith'clean knives, may be.

conveniently replaced within thecasing 8, as illustrated in Fig. 1, and is retained by the latch-j ing mechanism 26, as above described. Should a patron wish to secure a knife he a j th outwardly extending handleand remove the knife Should such I 7, this dispenser of knives is removed from thecasing 8 in the same by drawing it outwardly. With w re to the articles of tableware from V @withoutcontacting the operative partgthereof; 'and.means associated with each container for preventing reinsertion oi an article manually rejmovedfrornacontainer. i v V v *2. In a storagefand dispensing device for: tablea V f articles with 1 v tured walls iormed to receive and a a ative ends of a plurality or table ware articles i withthe handle portions oft said ing through the frontotthe oontainerinposition 1 itwill be seen that' the slug l8 rests on the p 1. In a storage and dispensing device for table ware suchas -l r nives,forks and spoons, a housing v support, a plurality of containers for tableware detachably mountedin said support, each of said containers being so constructed and arranged as {to receive theoplerative ends ofta'blewareiwith{ "the handle portions thereof projecting through v the front of the container imposition; to be mat- 1 Fig. l

a blade of the knife," When the knife is removed 5 the slug willfall downwardly into the: lower rej emu, thus completely blocking the passage |6.1

Should the patron-attempt toreplace the knite into the dispenserthe slug l8 will bar thepasy i v -sage of the knife through thepassage I51 and makereplacement impossible. V

nipulated bvthe hand of a user for .removal of waresuch as' knives, forks and spoonaa support, a plurality of tableware; containers dethe casing.

A storage a d device for-tabl are1 mprising a container having spaced apers retain the operarticles project- 1 the containers I 25 housing 1 'Qtachablymountedin said support manuallyre a: leasable 'interen a i s rneans on said' support; and containers tor lockingthe container'in the housing support; each for "said containers being formed to receiveftheoperative ends of tableware the handleportionsof-thef articles t projecting through the front of the container] 1 free tobe grasped bythe hand; of a user zone,

moval of thearticles without contacting the oper'- to be grasped for removal of the'article from the r 3 including stops ot theartlcle inth e container. 1 6, Adispenserlior'knives comprising .having substantially vertical spaced parallel sup;

porting walls apertured in alignment a and support knives inserted through saidjaligned I apertures with handle portions of the-kr' 1ve5 pro-f l .v

jecting outwardly of; theghousingfiand, gravity "container and gravity actuated. meanslincluding- 50 f4. storage anddispensing device for'table;

ware articles comprising an open Iront casing, I having topubottoinend and rear walls, a vplu-i rality of tableware containersidetachably in- I sertible through the open'vfront of the-casing; 'eachfof said containers having spaced walls adaptedtto receiveand'retain the operative ends otapluralityof tableware articles with the handle portions of said articles projecting-through the-Iront of the: casing, gravity actuated means 7 movably mounted on one of'saidL-f T'container =walls adapted, to 'slidably engage the .upperf'surface otfan article as i it is withdrawn g from the casing but arranged to drop behindthe'; a

article to preventreinsertoin'ot the article in the 1 I anuall jreleasabl'e latchingmeans V said} containers in their assembled position-inthe casing. 5-.fA storage and dispensing mounted'on one of theiwalls thereoiv to engage the upper surface of anarticleas itvi's 'remove d I g ,from thecontainer butarranged to drop behind the article when removed to prevent reinsertio'n actuated means movably mounted on one of said walls adapted to blo'ek the apertures in the wall 7 it as knives are withdrawn so ERNEST F.

, V 3? closure members movably mountedon one of said v iwal lsnadapted to1slidab1yengage anarticle as it I is removed from the container but arranged to j f {drop behindlthe article to prevent reinsertionof the article in thecontaineni V device'for table-v ware comprising an open fronticasing, a manu-x ally operable springlatch entendingiinwardly of "the casing through one wall thereoif, a container i for tablewarenhavin gispaced Wa11S fOl 'I nd t0 fe-. ceive and retain'a plurality of tablewarearticles and having' means cooperat'ing with said latch'for n "retaining the container inth'e casing,said con- 1 -11: tainer having; gravity actuated means movably j a housing to receive V agito prevent rein: sertion of a knifeafter'it is withdrawn. 

